Purpose of this blog


We started this blog for 3 primary purposes:
1) to establish a venue for our friends and family to see what we're up to and learn about our lives;
2) to share about the foreign service experience generally and provide more information for persons interested in becoming foreign service officers - particularly for candidates who are under-represented in the profession, such as women of color and queer folks;
3) to repay other FSO bloggers, who illuminated the experience for us as we were still researching about this as a career option.
(cyn's new boss-to-be)

Eva has a subpurpose:
1) to keep her sanity lest we get posted in a remote, overly sleepy location

Moons



The absolute hardest thing about Cynthia passing the Foreign Service exam (btw she is the smartest person I have ever known and I am so proud to be her wife) was making the decision to find a new home for my beloved dog.
He will always be my dog too, just so you know.


Although pets are allowed in the Foreign Service (hell, up until 6 months ago Moony would have had more rights than me as a same-sex spouse - thanks, Hillary!) I finally made the horribly depressing decision that my sensitive little guy would never survive the rigors that are grueling plane rides in the luggage compartment, potential and likely quarantines, frequent moves, unpredictable days, traveling, etc. Soooo an entire evening crying and a two foot high mountain of used tissues later, I caved.

Cyn found the family on Craigslist and I began corresponding with the mom. They have two little, sweet, active girls and a beautiful home in posh Los Altos Hills with horse trails for days and perhaps most importantly, incredibly patient adults. Moony took to the family immediately while I got myself the hell out of there as quickly as possible. I would have made it without any waterworks too if the mom hadn't hugged me. It was like slow motion: *arms opening into position, coming my way, enveloping me* nooooooooo...bam! tears.

The mom promised to send me monthly updates, rife with photos and stories. Don't worry, this isn't the last you'll hear of mr moony mcgee. Family portrait of the 3 of us:
engshot2

I am officially a narcissist.

YAY! My very own blog to complain, explain, share, and bore. you. to. tears. with all the minutia of my life! You must be as excited as I am to have stumbled sorely upon this future work of literary genius. HOORAY for us both!



Within the boundless nature that is this blog to become, you will be carried through the moments that are, and will transmute into, my life. We will walk, holding hands, sharing stories of packing up and selling my acupuncture practice (Honeybee Acupuncture), selling our condo in the beautiful Mission District of San Francisco, and moving to Washington DC to become a 'trailing spouse' (ew) to my wife, a soon to be US Diplomat.